Stand Up
by DongBangShingi
Summary: Gokudera hates Haru. Haru can't stand Gokudera. taken place in the future, before Future Arc though Gokudera x Haru


Warning: the 4th line below contains a spoiler for those who haven't read the manga.

Disclaimer: I am now 25 cents closer to owning Hitman Reborn. (total amount I have: 50 cents.) (Total amount I need: 40,000,000,000 yen (maybe?)...I'm getting there.

So...this probably is your first Gokudera x Haru fanfic on not really sure about this coupling so I'll wait for reviews and see if I should continue. This took place in the future, I guess a little while before Tsuna's death.

Sorry if you don't like it though.

* * *

In her eyes, Sawada Tsunayoshi, commonly known as Tsuna, was gentle yet strong, dependable, and caring. In other words, he was perfect.

The moment he saved her from drowning, she decided to become his ideal wife.

The only one who got in her way was Gokudera Hayato, who would almost always insult her every chance he got. He was violent and mean, especially to her and Lambo. There was absolutely no way she could EVER like HIM.

Over the past 10 years, Tsuna had grown and matured from the gentle 13-year old to the even gentler 23-year old Mafioso.

Haru smiled happily as she skipped down the street, her long silky hair swishing in the air as she did so. Her hands tightened on a colorfully decorated box as she blissfully imagined the look on Tsuna's face when he would see the beautifully decorated cake she had taken all night to bake for him.

Then Lambo-kun, who for some reason, grew to resemble a certain pervert she used to know, and the ever-so sweet I-pin-chan would rush over to taste the dessert as Fuuta-kun would then remark that her cake was ranked first class...

She squealed with delight.

* * *

Gokudera held a cigarette between his fingers as he casually walked on the sidewalk. Earlier, Tsuna had asked for some privacy when Kyoko appeared on his doorstep, a vanilla cake in her hands. 10 years earlier, he would've protested, saying that the righ-hand man should always be at Jyuudaime's side, but not this time. Not when the intimacy between his boss and Kyoko was apparent. 

"Hahi?! Gokudera-kun, it's nice to see you back from Italy!"

He looked up to see the energetic girl wave excitedly at him. The change was surprising. Gone were the childish ponytail and the middle school uniform she would wear even after graduating. Her soft brown hair, now grown past her waist, appeared as if it were floating gently in the air as she skipped towards the hitman in her light blue summer dress.

'Haru...' The word caught in his throat when he remembered whom he was talking to.

"Bakka, Don't say my name so casually. It's not like we're friends, you know."

"Hahi?! You're still so mean. How terrible!" And to think she 'd missed him somewhat.

It was then that Gokudera noticed the decorated box in her delicate hands.

"Nani kore?"

"Eh? This?" Haru looked down at the box, blushing, "It's for Tsuna-san...to celebrate his return from Italy!"

* * *

"Ano, Gokudera-kun, could you leave us alone for a while?" Kyoko asked, blushing as she glanced at the equally red Tsuna. 

"Ehh? It's okay. Gokudera-kun can eat cake with us too." His eyes were filled with reluctance though.

"Jyuudaime, It's alright. Just call me when you need me."

"Arigato, Gokudera-kun."

* * *

As far as he knew, Tsuna had been dating Kyoko for a while. Even when in Italy, his boss would call Kyoko everyday and Haru only once a week. It seemed that Haru was the only one who didn't notice the blooming relationship between them. 

"Then, I'll be seeing you tomorrow!"

"Don't go."

Reaching, out, Gokudera pulled at her wrist gently.

"Hahi?"

His grip tightened. "Not Hahi, you dumb woman. I said don't go!" Pushing her away, he used a little more force than he had intended to, causing her to fall down as the box containing the cake flew out of her hands and landed on the hard sidewalk.

"You'll just be an eyesore." Wrenching the cigarette from his teeth, he dropped it on the floor where Haru fell and crushed it with his shoe.

Haru bit her tongue hard to keep herself from crying. But the minute she tasted the metallic taste of blood, she knew she couldn't hold it in any longer.

"You-You're so cruel," she whimpered through silent tears. The salty liquid flowed steadily from her pale cheeks to the floor where the drops of tears were instantly absorbed by the dry ground.

He looked away as if pretending not to care. PRETENDING

"Tch! Serves you right." He stomped away guiltily, wanting to turn to apologize,... but couldn't.

Being dropped on to the solid concrete floor, the cake was ruined, being broken into millions of pieces. The soft fabric of her new blue summer dress was soiled with the dirt, and there was even a rip in the cloth, which revealed a small bleeding cut. Her ankle, being twisted from the fall felt like it was sprained.

He had never acted this way before. Mean occasionally maybe, but never so much that she could ever harbor true hatred for him. Did 3 years really change him?

Haru wanted to run to her home, her sanctuary, and cay in solitude, abandoning the ruined cake.

...No. For Tsuna, she had to be strong. Quickly wiping the tears, she forced herself to stand. The pain in her ankle had started to dull.

The cake was still edible...like how chocolate could still be eaten even when in pieces, or like how a heart could still love even when broken. Besides, her future husband would still be happy to see her. Picking up the box, she limped to Tsuna's house.

* * *

"Arigatou, Kyoko-chan, the cake was delicious." 

Even when in Italy, Sawada Tsuna still couldn't forget about his childhood crush.

"Really? You liked it? That's a relief." She smiled cutely, causing him to blush even more.

"So...why did you come over?" Tsuna's face suddenly became serious. After all, years of training under Reborn's care taught him to be prepared at all times, "Did something happen with Ryohei?"

Kyoko giggled and shook her head sweetly, picking up her fork to eat another morsel of cake, " I just wanted to see you."

...okay, not even a hundred years of Reborn's training could have prepared him for that.

"O-oh, i-is that s-so?"

"After all, we're friends."

"..."

Having finished the cake, Kyoko stood up and looked at the clock. Onii-san would be home in ten minutes and she had to go home to cook dinner. "I guess I'd better be going then. By, Tsuna-kun!"

"Chotto matte!" As he grabbed her wrist, Tsuna decided then that it was now or never. "For a long time, I...I li-...like-"

Nervously trying to stand up, his knees gave way and his head bent, his lips just barely touching hers.

The kiss, if you can really call it one, only lasted a split-second, but when they pulled away, they were both blushing.

* * *

The box containing the broken cake fell to the floor. 

Haru never meant to eavesdrop. It was just that Tsuna's mother had let her in and the door to his room was partly opened.

'For a long time, I liked you'

That was what Haru was sure Tsuna would have said if he hadn't tripped.

How foolish of her to not have even noticed the blushes that appeared on Tsuna's cheeks whenever he was around Kyoko, not her. Never for her.

When she had believed that she was helping, in reality, she really was just a nuisance.

It was just as Gokudera had said. She really was an eyesore...

* * *

Gokudera didn't really understand the emotion he was feeling. Sure there was the obvious guilt of yelling at someone he considered a friend, but there was also something else. Irritation maybe? Anger? 

"Shit." He lit another cigarette. Why did it have to be this way? Why did the annoying, costume making, stalker girl have to meet Tsuna THAT day? Why did Kyoko come? Where was that baseball idiot at a time like this? (Yamamoto: currently trying out for major league baseball-)

Pissed off, the hitman kicked at an empty soda can.

"Hayato." A familiar, unwanted voice...Bianchi.

Gokudera froze, thankful that his back was turned. He had been hoping to avoid her when he came back from Italy.

"Aniki...what do you want?"

Old habits are hard to break aren't they?

Bianchi sighed, running a hand through her hair tiredly. "Have you seen Haru today? She wanted me to teach her how to make a full-course meal. She's thirty minutes late."

His eyes widened. She couldn't have...

Without a word to his older sister, he sprinted to his Jyuudaime's house. Nana, Tsuna's mother, was outside doing the laundry.

"(pant) Is (pant) Haru here?"

"Haru-chan? She came but left few minutes later," Nana frowned. Haru left looking like she was about to cry. Did something happen?

* * *

"Geez, in the end, we didn't even win the snowball fight," Gokudera complained as he kicked at the snow. 

His boss was being sent the hospital by Haneuma Dino due to his injuries from I-pin's pinzu time bomb and Yamamoto had to rush off for baseball practice. Even turf-head left to carry his sister home, leaving Gokudera alone with a still-unconscious Haru.

Gokudera looked at her in annoyance.

Turning around to leave, he heard Haru sneeze.

...Well, it IS his fault for throwing one of his bombs at her. Sighing, he kneeled to pick her up and carry her to her house.

* * *

"Boys! Sorry to keep you waiting! Your Valentine's Day chocolate is done!" 

"Wahh, it smells great." Tsuna looked hopefully at the pot Kyoko was carrying.

"This is chocolate fondue!"

"Wow, that's nice," Yamamoto smiled.

"Hmphh." Gokudera looked away as if uncaring. "It's just chocolate."

Haru frowned. Taking one of Bianchi's homemade crackers and dipping in her milk-chocolate, she shoved it into Gokudera's mouth. "You should try it. It tastes great!"

He paled. Aniki's crackers...

"Blerg!" (faints)

* * *

"It's okay, we'll only be gone for 3 years," Tsuna assured Kyoko and Haru. 

"We'll write a lot of letters." Kyoko smiled shyly.

"Hahi, Tsuna-san," Haru cried. She reached in her pocket to take out a tiny keychain holding a miniature doll of him, "This is so that you'll always remember me!"

"Arigato."

"Gokudera tapped his foot impatiently. "Hurry up! Before Bianchi gets here!"

Haru managed to smile. "Don't be jealous. I made one for you too."

"Eh? Me too?!"

* * *

Gokudera had always believed that he didn't want Haru around Jyuudaime because he hated her. Now, he realized it was the other way around. 

"Shit," he cursed before running down the street.

* * *

Haru stared gloomily at her feet as she sat on the swing alone in the empty park. Her silky waist-long hair, which she had taken good care of over the years, was now only shoulder-length. Though she occasionally felt her eyes water, she refused to cry. Not now, not anymore. 

"So you were here."

She knew that voice. "Gokudera...kun." She turned around to see his sullen, though sweaty face.

"You cut her hair?" It was more a statement than a question.

Even so, Haru smiled faintly and nodded. "I felt like I needed a change." She gently brushed her hair with her fingers. "It looks better like this doesn't it?"

"...yeah."

The answer surprised Haru. The normal Gokudera would've insulted her. She looked at the person in front of her suspiciously.

"Who are you and what have you done with Gokudera-kun?"

Instead of an answer, he slowly kneeled and wrapped his arms around her.

"You knew...about Tsuna?" Her voice had become shaky now.

"yeah..."

She laughed weakly. "Hahi, Haru is so stupid. All this time...all this time and I didn't even noti-"

"cry.."

"W-what?"

"You can cry if you want. I'll let you cry in my arms." He coughed once. "only this once though...Jeez, you really are stupid."

But Haru was already crying. She buried her face against his shoulders to muffle her sobs. Tears poured down her face once more, but now, they landed on Gokudera Hayato's shirt.

"...Thank you, Gokudera-kun."


End file.
